Stepping Stones
by darkshadow229
Summary: Double D thinks his life is a nightmare when he has to spend time with Marie Kanker. However, he learns that it just takes one stone to step on in order to make a path.
1. The Assignment

Stepping Stones

**Hey, readers! This is my new fanfic! It's called Stepping Stones.**

**Benny: Really? That's the title you decide to go with for this one?**

**Yes. Why is it called Stepping Stones? Well, you'll see...**

* * *

Eddward Kelner seemed pretty happy with the way his day was going. He had met up with his friends Ed and Eddy, had gotten another nice compliment from Nazz, got a A on his English test and had managed to avoid the Kankers. If only he had more days like these...

Double D heard the bell ring as he went into his English class. Everything seemed well. Double D sat down in his seat before he recalled that this class had its students sat in alphabetical order. That meant his seat was in the row right behind the Kankers.

Double D thought "Now, calm down, Eddward. It's only for English and there's just a few months left in the semester. Once the school year ends, I may not be able to revise what I learned but I will be able to avoid Marie Kanker."

His long internal monologue was interrupted by Miss Parker who said "Alright, as you know, we have only a month before your report cards go out. So I'll be giving you a project to do in pairs."

Some students smiled or listened patiently while others high-fived or fist-bumped each other. Ms. Parker raised an eyebrow at that with a knowing smirk, but said nothing.

Ms. Parker continued "You're going to be writing a short story, a poem or a one-page monologue on the person you're paired up with. I'm going to be choosing the pairs so don't seem so happy. You have two weeks to do it, which is plenty of time for most, if not all of you. You're eighth graders and since most of you seem to do only average in this class, I don't except any masterpieces. But I do except for you to at least hand something in." before she glanced at the Kankers for a few seconds.

Ms. Parker said "Here are the pairs. Mike Albert and Lucas Schweniski. Charlie Barker and Lauren Douglas. Noah McDonald and Henry Lincoln. Jonny Foreson and Fahima Albaf. Natalie Rosari and Eduardo Morris."

Double D turned back to look at Eddy, who seemed like he was the luckiest guy in the world. Who could blame him? He got to work with Nazz, one of the most beautiful girls in the school. Something that most other guys would kill for. Speaking of Eddy, Lee Kanker didn't look very happy about it.

Lee gritted her teeth and said "That little blond sk-" before she was silenced with a glare from Miss Parker.

Ms. Parker replied "Lee, if you're not satisfied at the pairings, that is your opinion but don't swear in school."

Lee silently obeyed but muttered "She's gonna get what's coming to her."

Ms. Parker continued calling out the pairs " Sarah Ronado and Kelly Sadner. Edward Ronado and Peter Hernandez. Chang Lau and May Kanker. Lee Kanker and Rolf Dalgaard. Eddward Kelner and Marie Kanker."

Double D felt all the blood rush out of his face, making it turn a pasty white. He was going to spend at least two weeks with Marie Kanker. Three weeks trying to get inside the mind of the girl who chased him every other day, beat up little kids and terrorized the Cul-de-Sac in order to get an A plus.

It wasn't his ideal choice. Hell, Double D would have picked Kevin over Marie Kanker.

Double D thought "Maybe I could talk to Ms. Parker about changing partners once the lesson is over."

He had tuned out Ms. Parker in his shock, surprise and horror so he managed to return to listen to her just in time to hear " If you are unhappy with any of the options you have for the project, I have a fourth option."

Ms. Parker walked to the front of the room where on her desk, there were at least ten camcorders.

She continued "If you choose the fourth option, you will have to record your partner and their daily life. But that's not just all you do. Try to get to know them. See what they see. Hear what they hear."

The bell rang and the students started to leave the classroom. Double D got up and walked over to Ms. Parker.

Double D asked happily " Excuse me, . Could I talk to you about my partner?"

Ms. Parker brushed away a curl of her chestnut hair before she answered "Sure, Eddward. What is it?"

Double D felt nervous. How did he know if she would give him help? Or if she'd listen?

Double D thought "No, I have to do this. I have to conquer my nerves."

Double D asked "I hope you don't mind me asking, Ms. Parker. Could I change partners?"

Ms. Parker answered "Eddward, I paired you and Marie up for a reason. You're a good student and you answer several questions in my class. Marie gets decent grades but her behavior leaves much to be desired. She may not be the most welcoming student but you just might be able to help her."

Double D nodded and said "Thank you for answering my question, Ms. Parker." before he looked at the camcorders.

Ms. Parker handed Double D two camcorders and replied "You could give the second one to Marie. Just please remember to return them before the end of the quarter."

Double D nodded and answered "Thank you, Ms. Parker. I'll make sure that Marie gets hers." with a slightly downturned smile as he left the classroom.

Externally, Double D seemed calm. But internally, he was freaking out. This seemed like a nightmare. In fact, it must have been. Him and Marie Kanker together for three weeks. Maybe he'll wake up any minute now.

Double D thought "No, I can't think like that. I have to be positive and optimistic. I mean, Marie can be slightly wild and irrational but what is the worst that can happen?"

He looked around the hallway. Double D didn't know which locker Marie had or if she even had one. He didn't even know who to ask about it.

He went over to Kevin and asked "Pardon me, Kevin but have you seen Marie? I have to give her one of these camcorders."

Kevin answered "Hey, Double D. Heard you got stuck with Marie Kanker. That sucks but yeah, I saw her go down into the boiler room with her sisters."

Double D nodded and replied "Thank you, Kevin." as he headed for the boiler room in the basement.

After several turns and stairways, Double D ended up at the basement and he turned the corner to see the door to the boiler room.

Double D gulped. He felt nervous and relieved at the same time. Nervous since he was about to step into the Kankers' realm and relieved because he could just hand Marie the camcorder and leave to find Ed and Eddy.

He slowly opened the door and began to descend down the stairs into the boiler room.

Double D called out "Marie? Hello? Is anyone here?" as he noticed a shadow in a dimly lit corner.

Marie stepped in front of him, wearing a blue hoodie and short jeans with a evil smirk on her face.

Marie said "Ah, if isn't my boyfriend. Looks like you came to bring me something. Was it money?"

Double D sighed as quietly as he could and replied "N-No, it's a camcorder for our project."

Marie carefully grabbed the white camcorder out of Double D's hands and put it in her hoodie pocket.

Marie replied "Well, it was nice of you to bring me a present. Since we're gonna be spending a lot more time together, I'll see you tomorrow." before she kissed Double D on the cheek.

Double D took little to no time leaving with his own camcorder. He shuddered and rubbed his cheek as he began to wonder about what Marie was planning on. But other than planning to ambush him and kiss him again, he had no idea. But Double D did know one thing.

This was going to be a _long_ month.

* * *

**That's Stepping Stones!**

**Benny: Eh. Not so interesting.**

**It may not seem so interesting at first but as time goes on, it will be.**


	2. Day 1: Double D

Stepping Stones chapter 2

**OK, we'll be alternating chapters from here on in. So this chapter is Double D's POV, next chapter is Marie's and so on.**

**Benny: Of course, start with Double D. So even-numbered is him and odd-numbered is Marie? Makes sense.**

**Just a little warning, I'll go into third person near the end. You'll know when you see the second line break.**

* * *

It was a warm, lovely and calm Saturday morning so I decided to do the first recording outside at the playground. It may have been a weekend but most of the kids were probably at the lane so I could record Marie without there being any disturbance.

At 10 am, I headed over to the playground with my camcorder in my bag and a indifferent look on my face. But honestly, I felt nervous and a little scared. Ms. Parker wasn't exactly lying when she said that Marie wasn't the most welcoming person. Last year, she nearly clawed Lauren Douglas' face because Lauren bought my homework when I was sick with the flu.

How would she react to me attempting to find out everything about her? How would she react to the reality of it all being filmed for her peers to see, examine and analyze? I wasn't sure and I tried to stay calm but I had one or two warning bells going off in my head.

I went through the playground fence and saw Marie, in a purple graphic T-shirt and dark green camouflaged pants, sitting on one of the swings.

I walked over to her, sat across from her on a tree stump and began setting up. I unzipped the backpack and took out the camcorder before I turned it on.

I asked "You're pretty early. How long were you here before I came here?"

Marie answered "I showed up here an hour ago. I was getting bored until you showed up, Double D. But seeing you, it seems worth it all."

I sighed. I had a notebook page that I filled with questions that I wrote the night before. I checked it over twice, just to make sure that nothing I asked made Marie vexed.

She gave me a mischievous smirk before she crossed her legs and said "OK, sweetheart, I'm ready."

I replied "How old are you?"

She answered affectionately "I just turned 14 but you already know that since you're so smart. By the way, thanks for the birthday present."

I slightly blushed out of mild embarrassment. Marie turned 14 two weeks ago and despite our history, I decided to send her a gift in the meaning of goodwill. I knew that she liked to play the guitar so I got her a guitar pick. I wrapped it up along with a IPhone and left the package at her trailer. But I didn't think that Marie knew that I was the one who left it.

I responded with "Y-You're welcome, Marie. Where do you live?"

Marie began to slowly swing herself as she answered "You know that too, actually. Everybody does. But hell with it, I'll still answer it. Prickly Pines Trailer Park."

I tried not to wince outwardly as I thought "I think that definitely means that she's heard the comments the other kids make about her and her sisters."

The other children at school had made comments about the Kankers living at Prickly Pines and "trailer trash" was a common insult that they muttered under their breaths. It sounded horrible and even if Marie was a bully, she didn't deserve to be called trailer trash.

I replied "What's your favorite type of music?"

She rolled her eyes before she responded with "Double D, you already know this. Why would you need to ask all of these questions?"

I took a deep breath and said "I don't know everything about you and the other kids definitely don't know much about you."

She coldly replied "They know enough to make rumors about me and call me trailer trash."

Oh no, she did know. That wasn't good but perhaps I could have calmed her down and reasoned with her. So that was what I did.

I replied "Marie, some other students might do that because they feel jealous of you or angry at you. Wouldn't talking about your life and revealing more of who you are to everyone prove them wrong?"

I thought "This just might work. On the other hand, it could backfire and make her more angry." as my worst fears began to come to light in my mind.

Marie replied "Fine, I'll keep on doing this. But for you and also because if I'm gonna do this stupid project, I might as well do it with my boyfriend."

Marie continued "My favorite genre is rock, of course but I'll listen to anything as long as it isn't Justin Bieber or One Direction. I tried to listen to One Direction, just once and I turned it off in the first twenty seconds. It was that awful."

I chuckled. I wasn't a large fan of pop either as I preferred classical music. However, I would listen to anything other than pop.

Marie smirked at me and said "I'll take that as an agreement with me. Looks like we just have something in common, after all. Well, something other than guitars."

I replied coolly "What we have in common is that you like me, we both have a severe dislike of pop music and we are partners in doing this project. But I suppose that I could add guitars to that list."

I continued "Who do you live with?"

Marie answered "I live with my mom, May and Lee. I see my dad, I mean, Butch once a month. He tries to get me to "bond" with him and his new family. But I know that he's just trying to make up for Mom leaving him and all the time he lost. Butch knows that he has to make up for lost time so he just wants to get the thought of not getting to spend time with his daughter off his conscience."

Marie continued "As for my mom, she works a lot. A full time job, 5 to 9, you know that kind of thing. She leaves before I get up and she comes home just before I fall asleep. She manages to take care of us. Make sure we're fed, dressed and everything else. Even helps us with our homework on her days off. For May and Lee, you know about them. We fight sometimes but we're family. Believe it or not, the Kankers stand together, cheer together and fight together."

I asked "What about other relationships? Friends, a boyfriend?"

Marie answered "My only friends around here are May and Lee. As for a man, I've got you, sweetheart. But I did have one guy before, Justin. He was kind of strong but overprotective. I didn't like him too much but Justin was alright. He dumped me when I made him miss a shot in a basketball game. Our school was in the regional finals that season."

I replied "How did you feel when he dumped you?"

Marie responded with "Look, Double D, I'm a Kanker. We don't cry, watch movies and eat ice cream like any other girl would have. We get up, dust ourselves off and move on. There were other guys that I've met, like you. Justin and I weren't even in a relationship."

I asked "What do you think classifies as a relationship, then?"

Marie answered "In order to be in a relationship, both people gotta love each other and be committed. Justin wasn't either. He messed around with other girls, so he wasn't committed. He definitely didn't love me because he either ignored me or treated me like his dog. Justin just wanted to impress his little jock friends by hanging out with the school's rebel girl. I was committed. I didn't really love Justin but I was willing to make it work."

At that point, I had a few more questions for Marie.

I thought "OK, a few more questions for her and then I'll be done for the day."

I asked "What grade are you in?"

Marie answered "Eighth grade so I'll be in high school with everyone else this fall."

I asked "Do you participate in any extracurricular activities? Sports, music, etc?"

Marie answered "I suppose taking kids' cash or punching people wouldn't count as one. I play my electric guitar at home. Does that count?"

I replied "You don't play it at school so it wouldn't count."

Marie shrugged before she said "That's a no, then. Any more questions?"

I asked "Just one. What do you plan to be when you get older?"

Marie answered "Probably not a suit, that's for sure. Either a computer hacker or a musician. I could see myself playing bass in front of a large, sold out audience or stealing 50 grand from some businessman's back account." with a grin on her face.

I said "That's all of them, Marie. I'll see you near the river tomorrow morning."

Marie pouted before she responded with "Aww, I have to wait until tomorrow to be with you? Well, for you, I can wait."

I turned off the camcorder and put it back in my backpack. Marie dusted herself off and got off of the swing. We both split up and headed for our respective houses.

* * *

Marie slammed the door to the trailer closed with a small smile on her face. She went through a day getting interviewed by her boyfriend. Tomorrow, it was going to be her turn.

Lee looked up from the TV and asked "That was fast. How was it?"

Marie answered "I talked to him and I get to interview him tomorrow."

Marie knew one thing. She couldn't wait for tomorrow.


	3. Day 2: Marie

Stepping Stones chapter 3

**Now Marie gets to interview Double D. I wonder how he'll react to her questions?**

**Benny: That depends. What are Marie's questions, anyway?**

**You have to read and see, Benny. Remember to review and give your thoughts on the chapter!**

* * *

Another boring Sunday in this dump of a town. I had to make myself look decent for Double D so I blow dried and brushed my hair, put on a denim jacket with a black T-shirt and jeans before I shoved on my black Converses and headed out to meet him. I told him to go to the playground where we were yesterday.

I grabbed the camcorder too. As much as I love spending time with my sweetheart, I have to get this stupid film done. But being with him is one advantage of it so doing this couldn't be that bad, right?

I shoved the camcorder into my jacket pocket and headed out to the playground. It was a Sunday so there wouldn't be any brats running around, trying to bother us or stop me from being near Double D.

I headed through the gate and saw Double D, patiently sitting on a tree stump and he said that I'm pretty early. From the looks of it, he was there for at least an hour or two.

I thought "Hmm, why don't I surprise him? He hasn't noticed me yet."

I snuck up behind him as quietly as I could and covered his eyes with my hands.

I smirked and said "Guess who."

Double D sighed and replied "I know it's you, Marie. Now's let not waste any more time."

I said "Fine, I'll set up." before I took out the camcorder and turned it on.

I sat on one of the swings, pointed the camcorder at Double D and hit the record button.

I asked "OK, sweetheart. If you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be?"

Double D hesitated before he answered "The power to heal people. I'd heal the sick, the starving and the injured."

It was a good answer. But I still wondered about it. What if he couldn't get that superpower?

I asked with a smile "Nice, boyfriend. But what if you couldn't get that power? What would be your next choice?"

Double D answered "Mind reading and control. If you had the control of somebody's mind, you could make them do anything."

I guess he had a point there. If that was an actual power, I'd probably be using it everyday. On to my next question and Double D will have to answer it.

I asked with a evil smirk "Boxers or briefs?"

Double D sighed and said "Please tell me you're joking."

I shook my head with a pseudo-apologetic look on my face.

I pointed the camcorder at his face and replied "You're gonna have to answer it, Double D." while trying not to let him see my smile.

Double D answered with a deep blush "Boxers. Can we please proceed to a more appropriate- and less personal- question?"

I asked "What are you good at?"

He answered "Science, memorization, writing, reading, algebra, geometry, technology and engineering."

I said casually "Speaking of technology, I was a little surprised that you got me an IPhone."

Double D replied with surprise "You were?"

I answered "Yep. I thought that you would have made something out of pieces of junk you had in your garage. That would have been way more impressive coming from you."

Double D looked down at the ground awkwardly and said "I will admit that I had made something like that for your birthday. But I thought that you wouldn't have really wanted it. I mean, you weren't exactly fond of homemade gifts."

I replied "Actually, I am. As long as it doesn't suck, like Lee's casserole. How would you describe yourself?"

Double D answered "I would describe myself as intelligent, law-abiding, calm, reasonable and creative."

I smirked and responded with "Ah, just what I want in a man. Guess we are compatible. Have you ever been in a relationship before?"

Double D blushed before he answered "Er, if you mean a romantic relationship, then no. I suppose that I am simply waiting for the right person or the right time."

I grinned and asked "Who do you live with?"

Double D answered "I live with my mother and father in a house here. I am a only child, as far as I know. My mother and father are very busy but they do love me."

I raised an eyebrow and replied "They love you and they show it through sticky notes?"

The look on his face turned to panic and I said "Chill out, sweetheart. The girls and I haven't told anybody. I wouldn't want to embarrass my future husband, especially just to impress a bunch of losers."

He looked down at the ground again before he looked back up at me and replied "Thank you."

I nodded and asked "If you could be anywhere in the world, where would you be?"

Double D answered "That would be a very hard answer. But probably London. It seems like a great city, full of knowledge. Either there or Washington D.C. What about you, Marie?"

I answered "No idea but anywhere but here sounds good. Maybe New York or Toronto or even Tokyo."

I then asked "If you could name three of your best friends, who would they be?"

Double D answered "Ed would be one, Eddy would be another and I don't have a third. You or Jonny would be the closest thing."

I asked with a raised eyebrow "What is the closest thing?"

Double D answered "The closest thing is an associate. It's somebody that you talk to and encounter a lot but isn't a friend yet, like you or Jonny."

I pouted and asked "So all I am is an associate. Oh well, I'll work my way up. Where would you see yourself in 5 or 10 years, sweetheart?"

Double D answered "I see myself most likely in London, working as a scientist, working as a computer engineer or a mechanic somewhere or in Washington D.C., working as a businessman. We already know where you see yourself, Marie."

I replied "Hey, being a musician probably brings more money than being a computer engineer. It definitely gives more money than being a mechanic at some body shop in the middle of nowhere."

I asked "Would you see yourself as a family man or just someone with a girlfriend in that scenario?"

Double D answered "Is this interview for a dating service or a film project?"

I rolled my eyes and replied "Our project. Now just answer it."

Double D answered "Honestly, I could see myself settling down with someone and having children. On the other hand, if my future career requires me to move around a lot, I wouldn't want to have to put my children through that."

I asked "Where are you from?"

Double D answered "America or this country."

I replied "You know what you mean, Double D."

Double D answered "My hometown is a place that I wouldn't want to talk about. I hope you don't mind."

I shrugged and asked "Hey, I'm OK with that. Do you play any sports?"

Double D answered "I only play sports in the physical education class at school. Other than that, no."

I asked "How about drama, music or any other stuff like that?"

Double D answered "I am in the school's poetry club, I am on the debate team and I work on the school newspaper."

I replied "You mean the Peach Creek Rag?"

Double D responded with "It's the Peach Creek Junior High News."

I asked "They might as well call it the Rag because that is what it is. Do you have any hobbies?"

Double D answered "I have many hobbies. Computers, debating, poetry, writing, reading, engineering, chemistry, solving problems."

I said "So you're basically the model student for any school?"

Double D replied "Well, you could say that. I think that I'm simply intelligent and that's all."

I asked "How do you feel about social issues, like stealing, corruption, cheating?"

Double D answered "I think that they are awful but that the person who committed them should have a second chance at redemption and to prove themselves."

Ah, so I just might have a chance with him after all. Well, I'm almost out of questions to ask him. Who knew? The great Marie Kanker would actually be stalled at what to ask her future husband.

I asked "Is there any particular memory from your childhood that you're fond of?"

Double D answered "Yes, there is. On my seventh birthday, my parents threw me a birthday party and my friends and classmates were invited. I had a chocolate fudge cake and ice cream as well as pizza. After we ate, I unwrapped my presents. My friends got me various presents from sneakers to a book on insects to a soccer ball. My aunt got me an ant farm while my mother and father gave me my first computer."

Double D continued "I can recall my aunt taking a picture of me with my mother and father. Just as she took the picture, my mom shoved a piece of cake into my father's face and all four of us laughed. It was one of my best birthdays ever."

I replied "Well, I'm out of questions. See you tomorrow, Double D." before I kissed him on the cheek and turned off the camcorder.

As I left the playground, smirking, I thought "Maybe we have more in common than he first thought."


	4. Day 3: Confrontation

Stepping Stones chapter 4

**Now we're back to Double D! Something important may happen in this chapter, depending on how it plays out.**

**Benny: Oh, now it's a "reality" show instead of a dramatic fanfic.**

**Nope, it's a fanfic. Read and review, folks!**

* * *

It was another Monday at Peach Creek Junior High and I was about to interview Marie Kanker for the second time. I honestly didn't know how anything was going to go out but I just assumed that it would be the same as the first time: me attempting to ask her questions about her life and her trying to flirt with me. But I simply had to talk to her again and see.

I decided to interview Marie at lunchtime so that it wouldn't interfere with our schoolwork and I could talk to her without other people being around to gossip about it. I wouldn't care if they did spread rumors about me and Marie because they wouldn't be true.

The bell rang and we walked into the English class. I sat in my usual seat as always and patiently waited for Ms. Parker to arrive. I looked around the classroom and noticed that Eddy was sitting in his seat with his feet on top of his desk, smirking.

I said "Good morning, Eddy. How was your weekend?"

Eddy answered "It was great, Double D. I talked with Nazz and headed to her house. She showed me some of her stuff and then we chatted some more. So how was being stuck with one of the Kankers?"

I responded with "It was fine, thank you, Eddy. Marie had asked me some questions and kissed me on the cheek."

Eddy scoffed and replied "Figures that a Kanker would do that. Anyway, what are we supposed to be doing today?"

I answered "Ms. Parker most likely is going to give us a short story to read with our project partners and ask several questions."

Eddy raised an eyebrow and asked with a grin "Tell me something, Sockhead. Do you steal Ms. Parker's lesson plans or are you just guessing by now?"

I rolled my eyes with a smile of my own and answered "Eddy, you and I both know that I do not steal. I have a good memory, which isn't really necessary since she told us that on Friday."

Eddy shrugged and replied "Hey, I have better things to do than stay 5 extra minutes just to hear that."

Eddy then jokingly continued "Look, Double D, your girlfriend's here. Seems like she's in a good mood."

I rolled my eyes and responded with "Eddy, Marie isn't my girlfriend. She's simply my partner for this project and a classmate and friend."

I thought "A friend? Where did that come from? Well, maybe Eddy didn't notice."

Of course, he did. He might not always pay attention but unless they had either an incredibly short attention span or short term memory loss, there was no possible way that anyone could miss hearing that.

He grinned at me before he said "She's a friend now? I thought she was your associate. Unless…you think of her as more than a friend."

I lightly blushed as I responded with "Sorry to disappoint you, Eddy, but Marie and I are simply associates and project partners. We are nothing more, nothing less."

Eddy smirked and replied "Then why were you blushing?"

I stayed silent at that and glared at Eddy before I turned to see Marie in the row in front of me. She looked back at me with a smile.

She said "So when and where are we going to do this?"

I replied quietly "We'll do the interview during lunch. The location of it, I'll leave the choice to you. After all, we're partners in this project. Therefore, you're as much as responsible as I am."

Marie said "Hmm, I don't think I need my sisters or these idiots showing up. What do you think about the field behind the school?"

I responded with "That sounds like a good spot. Quiet, not usually frequented and it's away from the school so nobody would interrupt the interview."

Marie leaned back into her seat with a smirk as the bell rang, Ms. Parker walked in and class began. We had to read a short story about communication between people and the moral being that you shouldn't judge people simply because of their appearance, beliefs or how they initially seem to you.

Ms. Parker told us to go into our pairs so Marie sat next to me while she asked the class several questions.

Ms. Parker asked "In the story, Bastion said that he thought Amy was unusual because of her clothing, speech and beliefs. Can any of you tell me what this could be an example of ?"

A few students raised their hand, including me. Ms. Parker pointed to me.

I answered "Bastion's thoughts can be an example of xenophobia or just his fear consuming his emotions."

Ms. Parker said "That's a very good answer, Eddward. Now, Amy felt that Bastion was unaccepting of her and that he may have been an enemy rather than a friend or even just another classmate. When she actually gets to know Bastion, she feels the opposite. Does anyone know why that is?"

Several students raised their hands but Ms. Parker ignored them.

She looked around before she said "Marie?"

Marie looked up at Ms. Parker and answered "Amy felt like that because Bastion was a stranger to her just like she was to him. But when she actually gets to know him, she realizes that all of her emotions were based on fear and uncertainity."

Ms. Parker said "That's a good answer. Thank you, Marie. Now, you have no homework for today apart from continuing to do your project."

The other students cheered and smiled as the bell rang and kids began to leave. I walked out of the classroom with Ed and Eddy.

I thought "You know, I know how Bastion felt. Marie just seems like a stranger to me. But she isn't even just a stranger but one who has a deadly bark and a dangerous bite. No, Double D. Remember, you have to think positive about this or else, nothing good will come out of it."

I said to Ed and Eddy "Well, fellows, I'd love to proceed to the cafeteria with you but I have to do my interview with Marie."

Eddy smirked and replied "Enjoy your date, Sockhead. Just make sure that you bring some food back for us. Come on, Ed."

Ed replied with "Make sure the Kanker alien doesn't suck out your brains, Double D. I'm coming, Eddy!" as he ran after Eddy to the lunchroom.

I shook my head with a smile and thought "Maybe my life isn't so bad. I shouldn't be complaining. I should just be happy that I'm doing well in school and that I have a few friends that care about me, no matter what. Well, time to do this interview with Marie." as I headed out of the school.

I went over to the field behind the school and began to set up. I took my camcorder out of my book bag and also took my bagged lunch out as well. I began to eat as I waited for Marie to appear.

Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long. Just after I finished eating my sandwich, Marie appeared wearing a short sleeved red polo and jeans. It looked like she was wearing some makeup, too.

I thought "She didn't have any of this on this morning. Just what is she planning?"

She smiled and said "Notice anything different?"

I replied "I do but I won't ask about it now." before I turned on the camcorder.

I asked "How do you feel about school?"

Marie shrugged and answered "I think of school like most other kids think of it. It's not that great but you have to go. The positives are that you get to see your friends, get free food and get to throw dodge balls at annoying girls that you don't like. Another positive would be meeting your boyfriend there."

I thought "Throwing dodge balls at people she doesn't like? Hmm…well, the Kankers do have a history of bullying and extortion. Let's see if she can handle a few questions on that."

I asked "How about bullying? What's your opinion on it?"

Marie answered casually "Personally, I'm just OK with it but it's natural. If you're not strong enough or even make an effort to stop it, then you just brought it down on yourself."

I thought "I'm not sure why I feel surprised at that revelation. I mean, she and her sisters attacked the other Cul-de-Sac kids simply because they could."

I raised an eyebrow before I asked "Have you had any personal experiences with bullying?"

Marie answered "Yes, sweetheart, I have. I have bullied, manipulated, extorted and attacked other people. But like my mom said, do what you could to survive."

I responded with "Do you have any regrets about your bullying?"

Marie shrugged and replied "Not really. They let me bully them instead of standing up to me or even pleading so they deserved everything they got."

I raised an eyebrow and said "Is that so?"

Marie responded with "Yeah. Why?"

I said "It's wrong. You shouldn't bully people because you think they're weak or defenseless. It's horrible and even worse, you knew that it was wrong. You just decided to bully and manipulate other kids anyway."

Marie glared at me and replied "At least I give them a chance to stand up to me. But they won't because they're too scared of little, old me. Maybe you have a problem with what I do, Double D. But nobody does."

I responded angrily "Yes, they do. They're too afraid to tell a teacher but maybe not a sibling or a friend. Everybody knows what you do and who you are. You act this way but nobody knows why. When somebody tries to actually be honest with you, you either mask it with your flirtatious behavior or strike out at them like you're doing to me. The issue you have, Marie, is that you have alethephobia."

Marie shouted "You know what, Double D. I don't have a problem with telling the truth. I don't have a problem with being upright and honest about what I do and who I am."

In my anger, I shouted back "You don't have a problem with telling the truth, Marie! You have a problem with hearing it!"

I thought "I have to be rational. Shouting at her won't cause anything but problems."

I lowered my voice and said "I think you're afraid with hearing the truth because that would make you realize the wall you made is going to break eventually."

Marie sighed and replied "What do you want from me, Double D? For me to be a loud, annoying brat like Ed's sister or a stuck-up, preppy hussy like Nazz?"

Ignoring the insults she made towards Nazz and Sarah, I responded with "Nobody's asking for you to change your personality, Marie. You have to change your behavior and I can't do that for you. Nobody could. But if you did, even if it was just a little, maybe more people would like you. Maybe you wouldn't be feared and hated by everyone else. Maybe the teachers wouldn't think of you as a troublemaker."

I thought "Maybe I would like you as more than a friend."

I turned off the camcorder and put it back into my backpack. I looked at Marie who was sitting on the grass, her hands folded together and with an annoyed look on her face. I wondered who she was annoyed with. Me for shouting at her and trying to judge her? Ms. Parker for setting up this whole thing up? Herself for not thinking about the consquences of her actions? I felt guilty at what I had done. I could have just told her this in a gentle, polite manner without criticizing her or yelling at her.

I thought "Marie's personality isn't the issue. It's just how she treats people. If she changed her bullying ways, even if it's step by step like building a stone bridge, I'd be OK with that."

* * *

Marie lay down in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She thought about the horrible day she had. Then she thought about Double D. She always thought of him as her boyfriend. That argument was horrible but she felt bad.

A part of her thought "Why? Is it because he isn't your little fantasy anymore or because he actually had a point?"

Double D was right. She didn't have to change her personality to get his attention and affection. She just had to change her bullying behavior. Not just for Double D but for herself too. Maybe it wouldn't be a smooth ride and it may be a long, bumpy road but Marie vowed that moment that she would redeem herself.

"I will change." Marie thought.


	5. Day 4: Difficulty

Stepping Stones chapter 5

**We're with Marie again! So let's see how this is going to play out.**

**Benny: Don't you already know?**

**Maybe but sometimes the story writes itself. Read and review!**

* * *

I woke up in my twin bed this morning with a sigh. My blue hair was a mess and it was only 6 am. I felt like I wanted to scream but it would come out silent. Yesterday sucked and I just wanted today to be better.

But first, I had to get up, take a shower and get dressed.

I thought _'I have to look good for Double D.' _as I hurriedly struggled to get out of bed.

After a five minute long shower, I put on a blue T-shirt with a yellow star on it, a pair of jeans and a black hoodie.

I brushed and combed my hair before I put on a pair of red Converses. I ran down the stairs to get to the kitchen. The breakfast at school wasn't all that good and at least Mom, May and Lee's food tasted decent even if it left you with a stomachache. I slipped into the kitchen and was surprised. Mom, for the first time in a while, was cooking pancakes at the stove with a white, slightly greasy apron on and her chestnut hair tied into a ponytail.

Mom hadn't been cooking for us for quite a while so it was both a shock and relief to see her making breakfast. I mean, I love Lee but there are only so many ways that you could use spices in a breakfast dish.

I smiled and said "Morning, Mom."

Mom smiled back at me and replied cheerfully "Good morning, Marie. I'm making pancakes, eggs and bacon. What do you want to eat?"

I answered "I'll just have a few pancakes with bacon." before I grabbed a plate from the draining board and started to put my food on it.

I thought _'Mom seems to be in a pretty good mood but she definitely wasn't like that just a few days ago. What changed?'_

Of course, I had enough courage to ask "So why have you been in such a good mood lately?"

Mom looked at me, confused and answered "What do you mean?"

I shrugged and replied "You just look and sound a lot more positive than you did a few days ago. So what's the cause?"

Mom raised her eyebrow at me and said "Things have been going well for me. I just got a promotion at work and I've been going out to the gym lately. For your information, do I need a reason to be happy?"

I responded with "You didn't want to get out of bed just a couple days ago. So who is this new guy you've got and when are we going to meet him?"

Mom replied "There's no new guy, Marie. I told you I'm happy because things have been better recently. While we're talking about romance, when am I going to meet that nice boy you're always talking about with your sisters?"

I lightly blushed before I said coolly "I don't know what you mean, Mom. Double D is just my partner for an English project."

Mom responded with "You could say that if you want, Marie. But whoever you do end up with, I want to meet them someday."

I thought _'Oh, you'll meet him soon, Mom.' _but I let my smile turn to a look of indifference.

I said "Maybe you might, Mom." as I ate the pancakes and bacon.

May and Lee soon came into the kitchen to get something to eat. Lee ate eggs and bacon while May just had a couple pancakes.

I grabbed my backpack as I thought _'I might as well head off to school. If I want this to work, I'll have to step on a few stones first.'_

I said "Well, I'll be going to school now. Bye, Mom." as I gently hugged her.

Mom raised an eyebrow with a smirk and replied "You're going to school forty minutes early? I guess I'm not the only one who's doing better lately."

Lee scoffed as she grinned and said "Yeah right, Ma. She just wants to get there early so that she could have some time alone with her boyfriend."

I rolled my eyes before I replied "Hey, Lee, how's Eddy doing? He seems to be getting along with Blondie pretty well."

Lee's eyes narrowed and she glared at me. I smirked before I went outside and started walking to school. Most of the local kids, like me, walked to school but there were other kids who took the bus. I wanted to be at school early today so I was a little faster than usual.

I somehow managed to get to Peach Creek Junior High twenty minutes early.

I thought _'Just enough time to go talk to Double D.'_ as I went in through the entrance.

There were only three or four kids in the hallway and they looked at me curiously. Of course, I glared hard at them and they either turned away or went in the opposite direction. Good thing, too. I don't want anyone around when I talked to Double D.

I knew where Double D's locker was, thankfully. It took me four minutes to find out and speak of the devil, look at who was by their locker, taking out their books.

I said "Hey, Double D."

Double D turned to me with a surprised look on his face before he replied, stammering "G-Good morning, Marie."

I said "Listen, I have something to tell you."

We both said it at the same time, almost like it was fate, you know?

Double D and I both said at the same time "I'm sorry."

We both looked up at each other, shocked and stunned. I recovered from it faster than Double D did. There was fifteen minutes before school was going to start and I didn't need any interruptions or stuck-up gossipers overhearing us.

I nodded at him and said "You could go first. After all, what you have to say is probably more important."

Double D sighed before he responded with "It isn't but I will say what I must. I am sorry that I lost my temper and yelled at you. I shouldn't have done that to you, no matter the reason or circumstances were and it was truly uncalled for. Even if I did have to say what I did, I had other means of saying it to you that didn't involve that."

Double D continued "Marie, you're a great person at heart. But the way you act towards your peers isn't that good and your attitude towards almost everyone is just as bad, if not worse. If you actually just made one minor change, maybe people would start treating you better and giving you the proper respect that you deserve."

I sighed and lowered my gaze. The floor was now mine and honestly, I just didn't know how he would react to my goal. He might be in support of it, act neutral or say that I'm crazy.

I took a deep breath in and out before I said "Honey bun, I'm sorry. I should have taken your feelings and your beliefs into consideration before I started yelling. We both have different views on bullying, which is OK with me but I could have just been calmer instead of throwing a fit like that redhead brat does. You know what, maybe you're a little right. I just might dislike hearing something with a little bit of truth. But that doesn't mean that you're right and I'm wrong."

Double D replied "However, that also does not mean that it is vice versa, Marie."

I said "I have something else to tell you. I thought about what you said yesterday and I've decided to make a few minor changes with how I act toward the other kids. But that doesn't mean that I'm going all preppy. I'm still Marie Kanker. But if I'm going to be hated, I want to be hated for a legit reason rather than for scaring some sixth grader out of his lunch money."

Double D smiled at me. A genuine smile, not those fake half-smiles somebody gives you out of pity or awkwardness. I could have died right then and there and been a happy person. But then I wouldn't have Double D standing by me.

He replied "So, Marie, just how do you plan to start this amateur crusade?"

I answered "That's easy. I'll give the kids I stole money from their cash back. They get their money back, I gain a little trust and I stepped on a stone. It's a win-win for everybody."

Double D asked "How many kids have you stolen from and how much do you owe them?"

After five minutes determining the amount of cash I took from kids at school that were still there, we counted that I owed $500 to 100 sixth, seventh and eighth graders. Wow, I'm surprised I even kept track of all these kids. This must have been when Lee had May do bookkeeping.

Since this was over the course of three years, I'm not sure where their money went. Probably into either buying food or getting cool, new stuff. Or perhaps it was both.

I shoved my hands into the pocket of my jeans and looked at how much money I had. I came up with 52 dollars and 89 cents. So I had to get over just 447 dollars and I'll be out of "debt".

Wait….where the hell am I going to get 450 bucks from? I could try extortion but there's the thing with it: High reward = high risk. I'm too young to take out a loan from a bank. That wouldn't matter because a bank wouldn't give someone like me a loan anyway. Mom's not an option and even though I had saved up money from relatives and some spare change that I found on the street, I found that I was still 400 dollars short.

I had just turned 14 and as much as I hated to think about it, there was only one other option for me to get 400 bucks: to get a job.

I didn't think that the road to mild respect would be an easy one but this was insane. I was a 14-year-old girl with no previous work experience, a history of behavioral problems and a tendency to steal. Even if there was a slight chance that someone would overlook my age, my history was another story.

I asked "Double D, just what am I going to do? How am I going to get 400 dollars without either getting a job or making stealing my career choice?"

Double D answered nervously "I suppose I could give you 400 dollars. Mother always saved up money on rainy days, as the saying goes."

I hugged him, kissed him on the cheek and said "You're a lifesaver, Double D. Thanks."

He gently pushed me away and replied "I wouldn't be saying thank you so quickly. I could give you the 400 dollars but you will have to pay it back to me. Before you ask, no, I won't accept kisses as payment."

I thought _'Great. Just when I think I'm home free, something gets in my ways. Then again, I should have seen it coming. Nobody would give another person 400 bucks for free. Not even Double D.'_

I responded with "I guess I could start looking in the newspaper classifieds. It's a decent place to start searching for a job."

Like I said, the bridge is full of stepping stones and something tells me that the stones that follow will get bigger and bigger.


	6. Day 5: Dodge

Stepping Stones chapter 6

**The first step in development takes place! I wonder how Marie will deal with getting a job.**

**Benny: She'll probably deal with it the way the Kankers deal with most of their problems. Scream and beat up people.**

**Anyway, I'll reply to a few of the comments.**

**yugisun (chapter 2)- Yes, I suppose Marie may not own a computer but she could have gotten one to keep from school or a relative or her estranged dad could have given it to her.**

**yugisun (chapter 3)- She isn't really much of an associate. That's Double D's justification for giving her nice things and not getting taunted about it.**

**yugisun (chapter 5)- He did hesitate before giving her that money plus she's going to have a job to pay him back. Double D may be generous but he's definitely not stupid. **

**With that out of the way, let's start the chapter!**

* * *

It's Wednesday morning and it's my turn to interview Marie. I have the camcorder in my backpack along with two sheets of loose-leaf paper to write Marie's replies down on. I had been having a decent day so far.

I had gotten an A- on a Social Studies paper. It was actually higher than the grade that I had excepted to get with such limited information so I was actually pleased.

There was only one obstacle shadowing my pleasant day: the nightmare course known as Physical Education. Occasionally, when I fall asleep in Gym class, I could recall the hard sound of dodge balls coming into contact with body parts and walls and the loud, almost shouting taunts toward me.

_"What you gonna do now, Peanut? There's 6 of us and only 1 of you!"_

_"This will be too easy. He's just a weak, little geek."_

_"Let's get 'im!"_

The dodge ball incident was one that I rarely spoke of, even with my two friends. Honestly, I just don't want to recall that incident despite what my mind may think of it.

Those memories, tightly locked away in the back of my mind, slowly began to float back as I realized that the gym class were playing dodge ball in Gym today. I had on my Gym uniform of a white T-shirt and black shorts.

I looked around for Marie. However, I realized that she may have skipped class and gone somewhere else. I had hoped not as I didn't want to get caught leaving Gym by the teacher without an actual excuse.

I asked "Excuse me, Mister Bergsen. I'm supposed to meet with Marie Kanker as part of an English project. Could I go and talk to her?"

Mr. Bergsen answered "Sorry, Eddward but I can't allow students to leave this period if it's not to the bathroom, the nurse or authorized by a staff member. Anyway, you'll probably see Marie at lunch. Now you'll be on the white team over there." before he pointed to six or seven other eighth graders. Some were skinny while others were muscular.

I sighed sadly and went over to my teammates on the white team. Ed waved to me as Eddy stood next to him with a confident smile on his face.

_I thought 'Well, if I'm going to suffer in pain, at least Ed and Eddy will be on my side.'_

We were facing the red team, who were predictably wearing red shirts with blue shorts. I felt nervous and gulped. Only a few of them were incredibly strong but I have learned over time that appearances can be quite deceiving. Mister Bergsen took out 5 dodge balls and placed them in the middle of the court.

Mister Bergsen said "OK, boys, we'll play a game of dodge ball. It's the white team on the right against the red team on the left. I'm sure you all know the standard rules of dodge ball. You'll throw the ball and someone will have to dodge or catch the ball. If someone gets hit, they're out. The round goes on until all of the players on one side are out. We'll play 4 rounds and if there's a tie, we'll play a short tie-breaker round. Does everyone understand?" and everybody nodded.

Mister Bergsen backed away and blew his whistle. The game of dodge ball commenced and I just tried to dodge everything that came at me. I barely made it past 2 dodge balls which made a loud-sounding impact with the ground and then the wall.

A muscular, blond-haired boy on the red team threw a dodge ball at a tall, slightly overweight boy near me. The dodge ball loudly made contact with his stomach and he slightly staggered back. He seemed to be fine, though but out of the round. The overweight boy quickly jogged to the bench.

I looked around me for Ed and Eddy while trying not to get hit by any dodge balls. Ed was five feet to my right, doing well as most dodge balls he either caught or threw. Eddy was in front of me by three feet , mostly dodging or throwing dodge balls.

I suddenly noticed a red, round projectile quickly headed towards my ribs. I hurriedly put my hands out to catch it. As I closed my eyes in nervousness and fear, I began to mildly recall the dodge ball incident once more.

_The dodge balls were being thrown and tossed in a quick manner, almost violently even. I didn't notice that it was coming. _

_The barrage of dodge balls headed towards me and I tried my best to dodge them. I was somewhat successful as I had managed to catch one of the dodge balls intended to cause me harm. A tall, stocky boy was brought in alongside me._

I slowly opened my eyes to see everyone staring at me. I looked down at my hands to see the red rubber dodge ball in them. I looked to the bench and saw the slightly overweight boy and a short but moderately muscular boy. I pointed to the slightly overweight boy and he got off the bench and came next to me.

I tossed the dodge ball to him and he smiled and said "Thanks."

That one action, even if it's a small one, can sometimes be the difference between someone living and dying.

However, my act of kindness came with a consequence. I was unexpectedly hit with two dodge balls which hit my leg and my shoulder. I dejectedly walked over to the bench, feeling slightly sore in both areas.

_I thought "I suppose I should have seen it coming. I would have gotten hit sooner or later."_

The red team won that round but we decided to make a comeback, Ed and Eddy in particular. They and the slightly overweight boy managed to encourage the rest of us and we tied it 1-1. They replied by losing again, making it 2-1. But we may have gotten overconfident in our strategy as they came back, tying the game once again.

It was now the tie-breaking round and there was 4 players chosen to be on each side. The red team chose three of their strongest players along with a short, slim boy. Our team picked Ed, Eddy and the slightly overweight boy. We had to choose one more player and we were having trouble deciding.

Eddy looked over at me with a grin and said "Hey, I've got an idea. Why not Double D?"

The short muscular boy from earlier replied "Yeah, he managed to get a player or two back like Carlos into the game while he was getting hit. That takes a little courage."

Ed said "Double D!"

The decision was completely unanimous. The fourth and final player was me.

We lined up, looking our opponents in the eye. Mister Bergsen blew his whistle and we ran up to grab the dodge balls. Only Ed and Carlos managed to grab dodge balls. Eddy and I had to dodge and catch and hopefully get one of them.

Ed was taken out of the round rather quickly, being hit in the back. Eddy would have called it a "cheap shot" and believe me, he did. Eddy got one of the players out but got hit shortly after in the upper torso. That left 3 players on the red team and just me and Carlos on the white team.

I picked up one of the stray dodge balls on our side, aimed at the short, slim boy and threw. He tried to dodge but the ball narrowly made contact with his thigh. That made the teams even at 2 each.

Carlos also threw a ball at the two players, getting one out but the other missed. Unfortunately, he got hit rather hard in the face. His glasses fell off his face as he went on his knees, rubbing his left cheek in shock. I was the only player left and the other members of my team cheered me on.

"Come on, Double D!"

"You can do this!"

"Vanquish the last Terran, Double D!"

It was me against two boys on the red team. The muscular blond boy threw a dodge ball at me but I ducked and the ball hit the wall ten feet behind me. I picked up the dodge ball and threw. A dark-skinned boy with brown hair jumped up a incredibly narrow amount and caught the ball, making me out and ending the game.

The red team smiled and cheered while the white team got up with smiles on their faces. We may have lost but at least we still had our self-confidence. I got a few pats on the back from my teammates and the boy who caught the ball went over to me.

He stuck his hand out to me and said "Good game. I was actually worried for a while."

I shook his hand before I went into the locker room to change my clothes.

* * *

**So that is chapter 6! Yes, I know, Marie wasn't in this chapter but she'll definitely be in the next one. We'll show how things are going for her then.**


	7. Day 6: Haiku

Stepping Stones chapter 7

**Here's Marie's Thursday! We get to see how life's going for her.**

**Benny: She's probably sleeping and dreaming about Double D.**

**How do you even know that, Benny? For all you know, she's throwing something out a window.**

**Here's my reply to the comments:**

**sergeant peace – Thanks! I appreciate it.**

**PhoneixVersion1 - Well, this one is longer than the last one. I think it's almost twice the length so I hope this helps.**

**SAMURAIsensei71 (chapter 1) – Thanks. I'm glad that I'm doing a good job. **

**BarthVader (chapter 5) – For the IPhone, it hasn't been broken, destroyed or messed with so even if Double D did waste money, at least he doesn't have to get a refund for a broken phone. As for the bullying issue, Marie is attempting to change. It won't exactly be easy for her to go from a bully to a respected person or even an anti-hero and even though Double D will accept her efforts, that doesn't mean that everyone else will. The fact that Marie is somewhat resistant to becoming a respected person won't help. I do appreciate your comment.**

**Enjoy the chapter, everybody!**

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes before I rubbed them. I sat up and looked at my alarm clock. My eyes widened as I realized that it was 6:45 am.

Great, I only had thirty minutes to take a shower, get dressed and eat breakfast. Why the hell didn't Lee or May wake me up? Of course not, they were probably too busy laughing at me groaning in my sleep. But at least the nice dream I had was worth it.

I took a nice, relaxing shower. After five minutes, I got interrupted by loud banging at the door.

_I thought 'Who would need the bathroom at 6:50 am?'_

I shouted out "Who is it?"

The person shouted back "Ya know who it is, Marie! Hurry up in there! I gotta brush my hair!"

I rolled my eyes. I should have figured that it was Lee. I shut off the water and dried myself off with the towel.

I replied "Hold your horses, Lee! I'm coming out now."

I came out of the bathroom to see Lee in a dark green, short-sleeved T-shirt and her normal jeans. Her hair looked messy and she was glaring at me a little.

Lee said "Took you long enough. Were you too busy daydreaming to hear me?"

I responded with "Five minutes isn't a big deal. Besides, you're one to talk about time. Why didn't you, or May, wake me up?"

Lee replied, smirking "You seemed pretty comfy. So we didn't wanna bother ya."

I replied "Whatever. If you're gonna go and do something like that, at least set my alarm clock or something." before I headed to my room.

I put on a white band T-shirt with a pair of black jeans and a black and white striped hoodie. I then brushed my hair and put on my red Converses.

I smelt eggs and bacon coming from the downstairs kitchen.

_I thought 'Mom must be cooking breakfast today.'_

I quickly went down the steps and into the kitchen. Mom had her chestnut hair down and curly as she was making bacon, cheese and mushroom omelets with toast. She looked like she was in a hurry.

She smiled exhaustively and said "OK, girls. Here's your omelets." as she put one on each of the three plates.

I sat down along with Lee and May and started eating the omelets and toast.

May looked up at Mom after taking a bite of hers and asked "Aren't you eating, Mom?"

Mom answered "I already ate, May but thanks for the concern. Now I have to go to work early today so Leonard's going to do me a favor and drop you off at school."

May, Lee and I looked at each other before we groaned quietly under our breath.

Leonard was this 30-something loser who worked with my mom. He almost always seems to be around wherever Mom is. Parent-teacher conferences, the local park, the supermarket, you name it. Leonard's always trying to flirt with her and gives her gifts like roses and chocolate. Mom always acts like it's not from Leonard and she thinks he's weird but a little sweet. We just think that he's a creep who wants to show her off to his pathetic friends at work.

On the other hand, that means we don't have to walk the thirty or forty minutes to Peach Creek Junior High. So maybe the loser's good for something. Speaking of work, I've been looking through the classified sections of the local papers for the past couple of days now. There's been no luck yet. I'm either too young, under qualified or both. The ones that do accept me look at my history and say "We'll contact you, Miss Kanker." They never do, of course.

Even if I do find a job that will hire a troublesome 14-year-old girl, I certainly won't earn 400 bucks overnight. I'll probably earn just a little over minimum wage and even if I do overtime, it would still take at least a few months before I could pay Double D back.

I turned to the classified section of the Peach Creek Nectarine, the town's alternative weekly. I circled a few of the jobs in red. One of them was a job at the Mignon Diner in town. $10.50 an hour and possible employees have to be the age of 14 or over. That sounds kinda promising.

Lee looked over my shoulder, scoffed and asked "Classified? What are you looking in there for?" before she took a bite of her omelet.

I shrugged before I answered "A job. I owe someone some cash so I figured that I might as well get a job to earn enough to pay them back and then some."

Lee shrugged back and responded with "Nobody's gonna hire you, ya know."

Mom raised an eyebrow and asked with her arms crossed "Why's that, Lee?"

Lee answered "Let's face it, Ma. We're two things: underage and Kankers. In other words, we're too young to get a decent job and we're trouble."

Mom responded with "Hey, don't go acting like that, OK? I have confidence in all three of you girls and I think that if you put some effort in it, you can do whatever the hell you want."

May said "So if one of us wanted to travel the world, you'd let us?"

Mom answered "Honey, I would be OK with one of you dressing up in a bear suit and painting their face red, orange and purple as long as it makes you happy or helps you out in the long run."

The four of us laughed a little.

_I thought 'Good thing Social Services can't say that she's a horrible mom.'_

This family moment was interrupted by a moderately loud honk coming from outside. I checked my watch. The time was 7:11 am so it must have been Leonard.

Mom said "Oh, that must be Leonard. Come on, girls, get your things!"

We finished our omelets and put our plates in the sink before we ran out of the kitchen to grab our backpacks.

I grabbed my black backpack and said "Bye, Mom."

Lee had her backpack and said "Bye, Ma."

May had her blue backpack over one shoulder and said "Bye, Mom."

Mom replied "Have a good day at school, girls!"

May walked out the door, followed by Lee and me. Leonard was sitting in his dark red Corvette with a smug smile on his face. We didn't want to touch him with a ten-foot pole but there was no way we were about to turn down a free ride to school.

Leonard smiled and said calmly "Morning, girls. How are things?"

Lee frowned and replied coldly "Fine, thanks." before she took shotgun.

May and I went in the back seat and put on our seatbelts. Mom came out of the house, smiling brightly.

Mom said "Thank you, Leonard. I wouldn't have asked you but I have to go in early for a meeting and I wanted to make sure the girls were going to be OK on the way to school."

Leonard smiled and responded with "It's fine, Susan. Taking the girls to school isn't any trouble for me. Good luck at your meeting."

Mom kissed him on the cheek before she walked away towards the bus stop. Lee turned to us when neither of them were not looking and made a gagging sound. May chuckled at that while I grinned.

_I thought 'Okay, I just have to survive 10 minutes in a car with Creep Man. This shouldn't be too hard.'_

At least it wouldn't have been hard if Leonard wasn't trying to pass the time by making conversation with us. That was a big mistake.

Leonard asked "You girls go to Peach Creek Junior High, right? I went there too and was part of the class of 1998. Hey, have any of you heard of a teacher named Miss Hollingford?"

Lee answered "Never heard of her."

We did know Miss Hollingford. She was a 41-year-old Social Studies teacher at school and she taught history in a boring way. If students were able to grade teachers in certain areas of the class they taught, she would get an A for effort but a C minus for execution. She mostly made us read out of the textbook for a while and gave us one or two worksheets to do. There was the occasional good lesson where we would get to debate and stuff and one time, she even bought in some Japanese stuff into class for a lesson on Japanese history. That was the best lesson I had in Social Studies as a 7th grader.

Leonard replied "I had her as a Social Studies teacher in 6th grade. She was pretty energetic and always tried to engage her students."

If that is true, then what the hell changed for her? Wait a second, let me answer my own question. What changed for her was the school system. Or maybe she was just tired of trying to appeal to stuck-up 11-year-olds who couldn't be bothered to learn anything.

I looked out of the car window and saw that we were pulling up to Peach Creek Junior High. Thank God, I was wondering when we would be able to get away from this loser. May, Lee and I grabbed our stuff and got out of the car. Lee slammed the car door loudly but not so hard that the door would break off. The last thing we needed was for Mom to have to pay Leonard for having his car door taken off. Not that the creep would even care. He would probably just pay for it himself and then ask her out on a date.

Leonard asked "Have a nice day at school. Do you want me to pick you up after school?"

I answered "It's fine. We'll walk home." before Leonard reversed and drove his Corvette down the street and out of sight.

We went inside the school and May looked at her watch. The time was now 7:22 am.

_I thought 'I have almost 40 minutes all to myself. I'll go interview Double D.'_

I went to my locker first to drop off my backpack. I took out my camcorder and a spiral notebook that I had been using for the film project. After that, I went to talk to Double D. However, I couldn't find him. He wasn't at his locker so I went to the library. Surprisingly, he wasn't there either. I asked some scared kids a little threateningly where he was. They had no clue.

I saw this chubby kid who is in our Gym class. What's his name? Cameron? Carlton? Carl? Wait…now I remember, it's Carlos. He was playing dodge ball with Double D yesterday.

I said "Hey. You're Carlos, right?"

He turned to me and nodded nervously.

I said "I heard that you're buddies with Double D. Where is he?"

Carlos replied "Double D and I aren't buddies. I don't know where Double D is. He can do whatever he wants."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. Even if this guy knew where Double D was, he wasn't planning to tell me.

_I thought 'Oh well, I'll just see him in English.'_

I spent the next forty minutes sitting at an otherwise empty table in the library, listening to Imagine Dragons and Arctic Monkeys and flinging rubber bands at random kids.

After three boring classes (including a horrible game of basketball), English finally came around. Lee was glaring at Blondie as she talked to Eddy, May was "trying" to discreetly stare at Ed and I sat in my seat and scribbling on my desk with a pen while waiting for Double D to show up.

I saw Double D shakily walk into the room and go to his seat with a smile on his face.

I sat next to Double D with a smirk and said "Morning, Double D."

Double D smiled shyly and replied "Good morning, Marie. How are things going?"

I replied "Oh, they're going OK. I've been looking for a job. Anyway, you did great at dodge ball yesterday. I like a man who's both brain and brawn."

Double D blushed lightly before he stammered "E-Er, well, I did decently in Gym. I wouldn't say that I did great or that I was the best player."

Miss Parker came into the room with a smile on her face and the class began.

Ms. Parker said "So it's been almost a week since I assigned the project. I'll be excepting an update from all of my students tomorrow. Yes, that means you, Eddy, Mike and Lee."

Ms. Parker continued "Now I had you all write a haiku yesterday based on a selective topic I gave each of you. Lucas, you're first."

Lucas got up with a piece of loose leaf in his hand.

He said "A bud grows in the plain and it blossoms into a tall beautiful flower."

Ms. Parker replied "That was good, Lucas but you could have done better at following the format. Eddy, you're up next."

Eddy got up with a crumbled up piece of paper. He slowly opened up the crumbled wad and began to read from it.

Eddy said "A dove flies in the rain then the sun comes out to shine. Just like my deep love for you comes out bright."

Ms. Parker replied "That was very poetic and touching, Eddy but you didn't follow the format, either."

Double D raised his hand and Ms. Parker said "Yes, Eddward?"

Double D asked "Ms. Parker, aren't haikus allowed to be more than 17 syllables long? Wouldn't Lucas and Eddy's haikus be classified as haikus?"

Ms. Parker nodded and answered "That's true, Eddward. However, we're reviewing traditionalhaikus. If any of you want to write a modern haiku after we finish reviewing the traditional haikus, you are free to do so. Nazz, let's hear your haiku."

Blondie got up with her English notebook and started reading.

Blonde said "The swans swim as you close your eyes and sigh one last breath before you go."

Ms. Parker asked "That was very good, Nazz. How did you come up with that haiku?"

Blondie answered "It's based on my grandmother's death. She was Polish and the swan is commonly used by noble families in Poland. Also, she used to be a swimmer."

Ms. Parker said "Thank you, Nazz. Ah, let's see who is next. Ed, normally you're engaged in class. Let's listen to your haiku."

Ed slowly got up and went to the front of the room with a crumpled piece of loose leaf. He smoothed out the paper and began to read from it.

Ed said "The beastly monster is taking over me. The yell comes out from inside me."

Ms. Parker replied "That was good, Ed. What was your inspiration?"

Ed smiled and said "Horror movies, comics. Just my hobbies, Miss Patriot."

Ms. Parker responded with "Alright, we'll have just one more person. Marie, we haven't heard from you since Monday. Let's hear your haiku."

I grabbed my spiral notebook, got up and went to the front of the room. I felt a little nervous but I pushed that feeling out almost instantly.

_I thought 'I'm a Kanker. We don't get nervous.'_

I said in a fierce tone "Tiger's claws are sharp. Better watch out because they are coming for you." before I looked at my classmates.

My gaze lingered on Nazz, Double D and that Douglas girl for a few seconds longer than it did on everyone else. Miss Parker had a smile on her face, like she was a proud parent and I was her successful daughter. That smile then felt really weird.

Ms. Parker said "Very good haiku, Marie. What was your inspiration?"

I shrugged and answered "My personality." before I sat back down next to Double D.

The bell rang and kids began getting their stuff and leaving.

Ms. Parker said "Remember, you have to give your updates on your projects tomorrow!" as Double D and I left the room.

Double D asked "Marie, where are we holding the interview?"

I answered "Someplace quiet, where nobody will bother us. I know just the place." as we headed out the back entrance of the school.

The school had two schoolyards: a huge, lavish one not far from the building where mostly sixth and seventh graders hung out and a smaller courtyard in the back that was usually abandoned. Double D and I were going to the courtyard to do our interview.

I sat down on the steps of the stairs heading out to the courtyard. Double D stood down on the concrete, shyly looking down on the ground.

_I thought 'Not a time to be shy, Double D. Not now.'_

I had a smirk on my face as I took out the camcorder, turned it on and hit the record button.

I asked "So, Double D, how would you describe yourself when it comes to sports?"

Double D answered "I would describe myself as not being a fan of sports, although I do participate in some sports when needed."

I asked with a grin and mock innocence "You mean like you helping out your team in dodge ball yesterday?"

Double D answered "I wasn't the only player on my team. Eddy, Ed and Carlos helped out the white team as well. We may have lost but we had done well in the game."

I asked "Who would you say is your role model?"

Double D answered "Isaac Newton. He is one of the most influential scientists of all time and developed the laws of motion."

I asked "What are three jobs that you aspire to be?"

Double D answered "A scientist or doctor, a computer engineer or a technician."

_I thought 'He seems to have a plan for wherever he fails. So he thinks things out a lot more than he shows.'_

I asked "What are your views on politics?"

Double D answered "I personally think that politics take too much precedent over the result of social events. If I were to vote, it would be as an Independent or Democrat depending on who I am voting for and their platform."

I asked "One last question. Would you go out with me on Saturday night?"

Double D answered with a deep blush "N-No comment, Marie." as he got up.

I saved the footage and turned off the camcorder.

Double D asked "How is the job search going? You said this morning that you were looking for one."

I answered "I found a few potential jobs. I'm going to make some calls after school and get an interview lined up."


End file.
